1. Field of the Invention:
The present invention relates to a non-mobile pool cleaning apparatus which places smaller debris particles in suspension and draws larger debris into a venturi chamber for collection.
2. Related Art
The use of one or more flexible, jet reactive sweep hoses in mobile pool cleaning devices is well known. Water under pressure is discharged through the hose ends, causing them to whip about and brush or sweep over the pool bottom, while at the same time some of the pressurized water is used to drive the device over the pool bottom and sides. This places small foreign particles or debris in suspension in the pool water so that it can be drawn away by the usual pool bottom main drain for filtration. U.S. Pat. No. 3,291,145 (H. M. Arneson) is directed to such a device. Larger debris items such as leaves eventually find their way to the main drain, where the debris is typically caught in a leaf trap placed over the drain. The leaf trap must be periodically lifted to the surface and emptied.
Alternatively, vacuum sweep devices can be used to collect the leaves, as shown, for example, in U.S. Pat. No. 4,240,173 (Sherrill). Water is forced through such a device to create a venturi action which sucks the leaves up into a leaf bag. The device must be rolled over the pool surfaces to reach the scattered leaves, which is an awkward chore because it requires manipulation of a long pole attached to the device.
Other mobile devices have been devised which both sweep small debris into suspension and also collect larger debris in a compartment or bag. U.S. Pat. No. 4,589,986 (Greskovics et al) is exemplary of this type of device.
The mechanisms for automatically moving such cleaning devices over pool surfaces tend to be somewhat complex and expensive, and therefore are particularly unsuited for use in low cost above-ground pool installations. Also, they often require expensive booster pumps to operate satisfactorily.
As a consequence, operatively stationary pool cleaning devices were developed which use one or more sweep hoses to place small debris in suspension. It was found that leaves and other larger debris tended to be drawn toward the root or fixed ends of the sweep hoses. Apparently, the turbulence present at the free ends of the whipping hoses induces leaves and the like to move to the less turbulent areas at the hose inner ends. Such an operatively stationary pool cleaning device is disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 3,794,052 (Koble and Goettl).
As explained in that patent, the device is only stationary in the sense that it is not moved while it is cleaning a particular area, but if the area to be cleaned is large enough, the device is manually pulled or relocated by the operator to another, uncleaned area. When an area has been cleaned, the larger debris will have collected in a small area adjacent the device, where it can readily be collected by vacuuming it into a leaf bag after the device is moved out of the way to a new area. To facilitate collection of leaves and the like the device was sometimes placed in the center of a shallow leaf trap having an apertured bottom and sloping sides. The leaves would then collect in the trap. When the cleaning device was moved to a new location, the trap was raised to the surface and emptied. there are a number of disadvantages to this arrangement. The pool bottom beneath the leaf trap is not scoured by the jet action of the sweep hoses, and the collected leaves often leave unsightly stains on the pool bottom beneath the trap. Also, it is awkward to raise the leaf trap in such a way that the leaves do not spill out before the trap reaches the surface.